I crouched, ready to leap for the kill. The mouse that I was stalking, of course, still had no idea that I was there. I figured myself one of the better hunters in ThunderClan, and even Daystar said so. She's leader of the clan.

I waddled closer—pounced—I could sense the mouse's sudden fright—and then I was holding a wriggling, squealing mouse between my jaws. I clamped down hard and it stopped moving. I trotted off toward the camp, unaware that I was being watched. I heard a rustle in a bush beside me, and tensed. I dropped my prize and buried it under a pile of leaves, covering the scent.

I turned in a circle, and then—

"Ha! Got you, Rainpaw!" I struggled to dislodge my attacker, whom I knew very well.

"Oh, come on, Seapaw! You can do better than that!" I groaned. My best friend got off, and I groaned again as I stood. Seapaw was blushing.

"Actually, my name's not Seapaw anymore. It's Seastorm now."

I stared with wide eyes, the mouse fully forgotten.

Seastorm?

Why, a change of name could only mean that she was a warrior now. I had always figured that she would become a warrior sooner than I—she was a better fighter, and had a better mentor—but this early? She had only been training for seven moons! And here I was, doing a simple hunting job! I felt envious, ashamed, and proud all at the same time. But I only let one of those feelings show.

"Really? That's great! You must be one of the youngest warriors in all the four clans! Oh my gosh, you are so lucky!" I ran in a circle around her, brushing under her chin with my tail. She laughed.

"Yeah, I'm one of the youngest. Daystar said that I was probably the youngest, except for a few kits in ShadowClan. You know how young they start."

"I know, it's crazy. Well, I've got all the meat we need. Want to help me carry it home?"

"No, I can't. I mean, I'm a warrior now." At first I thought she was kidding, but when she started walking away I realized that she was serious. I stared after her, wondering what I was going to do without a best friend.

Life changed.

I was no longer assigned hunting duty, for one. But I was still an apprentice, and I didn't see Seastorm anymore.

As it happened, my mentor, Redheart, told me that he was going to go away for a few weeks with some of the other warriors, and that Seastorm would be my temporary mentor.

At first I was overjoyed—a chance to see my friend again—but then I realized that while Seastorm and I were apprentices together, we were of the same rank, and could be friends. But now, it seemed, Seastorm was better than I, and was treated that way.

Unfortunately, I was treated that way too.

I was now the oldest apprentice, and all the others I had started training with had become warriors. On top of everything, my mentor was my old friend.

"Rainpaw, on your feet! There will be no lying about. The sooner you learn everything, the sooner you become a warrior. The sooner you become a warrior, the sooner you can live your own life. Now, claws out! Shoulders back, let's see what you can do." I leaped, digging my claws into her back, biting with my teeth. Seastorm yowled and ran from my grasp. Her back was bleeding.

"Well done. I have no idea why you weren't promoted to a warrior earlier. You show strength, though you are a bit short on agility and strategy. A simple jump onto a ShadowClan warrior's back would be easy to avoid, but if you can get that far you've got it made. Remember to really sink your teeth in. Let's try that again."

This time I tried to strategize. I got into a position like I was going to leap to the left then sprang from that position to the right. It was a bit awkward for me, but it fooled Seastorm.

She moved to the right, directly into my trap. I landed on her back a bit more forcefully, and dug in a bit harder so that I could really sink my teeth in even while she was running around.

Finally she rolled on her back and I had to get off to avoid being crushed.

Seastorm was breathing hard.

"You must remember, if it is not the best thing for you, typically, don't try it. You could end up getting hurt. I could tell that that was uncomfortable for you, even though it did hurt me. It could always go wrong."

She sighed.

"I have to go to Dawnflower for medicines. The lesson is over for today."

So that was how my first lesson with Seastorm went. I did the same, and worked on hunting, all the next three weeks.

Then Redheart came back, and was informed of how well I did.

He talked to Daystar, and my promotion was set up almost immediately.

That evening, there was a naming ceremony in my honor.

"Rainpaw, come forth," said Daystar.

I stepped up to the base of the rock.

"I, Daystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Rainpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

I nodded.

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Rainpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Rainpath. StarClan honors your loyalty and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

The cats watching began to cheer: "Rainpath! Rainpath! Rainpath!" I blushed and backed away. Daystar did not match disrespect with a kindness. My new friends, Sleetpaw and Icepaw, congratulated me. I could see Seastorm in the background, nodding in a satisfactory way. I was satisfied too.

I was a warrior now.